When Stephen Perry announced his decision to retire, the Pro Football Hall of Fame knew he was leaving big shoes to fill. The Hall's board of trustees found a big someone — literally.

C. David Baker, the former commissioner of the Arena Football League, was introduced Thursday as the Hall of Fame's president and executive director. Baker, a power forward at Cal-Irvine from 1971-75, stands 6-foot-9 and weighs in at 390 pounds. His son, Sam, is the starting left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons.

Baker is the sixth person to hold the position, and the first with no county ties since Pete Elliott was hired in 1979.

"He'll start off from Day 1 as the biggest executive director," said Perry, who will work with Baker through a transition period. "People say there's big shoes to fill, well, there's no problem filling them."

Baker brings a diverse background to Canton, from sports business to big-time politics.

For nearly 12 years, Baker was the AFL's commissioner. He was the owner of the Anaheim Piranhas in the AFL prior to becoming commissioner.

Before that, Baker was the mayor of Irvine, Calif., an affluent suburb in Orange County.

Baker is leaving behind the sunny skies of Newport Beach, Calif., to relocate to Canton. He is wrapping up his involvement the last four years as a partner in Union Village, a healthcare project in Henderson, Nev., that will create the first integrated health village in the world. The project is expected to create more than a thousand jobs there.

"It is 76 degrees and crystal clear today in Newport Beach," Baker said during a phone interview Thursday. "I would like to think we're coming for a purpose and the people. I get excited about that."

Canton is not foreign to Baker. He has been to a couple of enshrinements, most notable that of John Elway, who like Baker is a former AFL team owner. Baker also came to the Hall of Fame in 2007 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on an arena football exhibit that chronicled the indoor game's growth.

He didn't imagine then he would be back in Canton one day as the Hall's top leader.

"I wasn't thinking that three or four months ago when this process started, either," Baker said. "My goal was this health care project near Las Vegas ... that will provide thousands of jobs in a place they are really needed.

"When this opportunity came up, because the Hall has done such a wonderful job under Steve Perry's leadership, and Canton stands for something that's very special, I hope I can help the team there take that platform and help it grow. I got excited about the opportunity and so did my wife."

The NFL also is aware of Baker. When he was the AFL's commissioner, his office was in New York. When Paul Tagliabue was the NFL's commissioner, he and Baker worked on a youth football initiative.

Page 2 of 3 - Tagliabue's strategist suggested the two commissioners have lunch or dinner once a month.

"That guy was Roger Goodell," Baker said. "I could tell then this is a guy who values the integrity of the game."

"The bond between the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame is stronger than ever," Goodell said in a statement. "David is a dynamic executive with a strong football background. We look forward to supporting him in growing the Hall of Fame's record of success."

Baker's background does have a bit of controversy. In 1989, he ran for a congressional seat in California. The Federal Elections Commission ruled Baker took an $11,000 campaign donation from his aunt, above the $1,000 federal limit on contributions.

Baker didn't deny the mistake, and Tom Schervish, the chairman of the Hall's board of trustees, said the Hall was aware of the situation.

"Through the hiring process we vetted the situation exhaustively on an issue that happened 25 years go," Schervish said. "His performance and decision making since then have been exemplary."

"It was a mistake under pressure," Baker said. "It was my mistake and my fault. That's why the values and principals that Canton stands for mean so much to me. I shared this with them in (the hiring process). I wanted them to know the good things and the bad. In sports, it's not about the mistakes you make, but how you try to come back from those."

Baker was hired as the AFL's commissioner in 1996 and helped grow the league's value. Franchises, which initially were reportedly valued at about $400,000, grew to $20 million.

The AFL formed an unofficial relationship with the NFL, so Baker is not new to the league.

"He's been around and he's done a lot of interesting things," said Perry, who will work with Baker in a transition period. "He's accomplished a lot of things in his work as a developer and attorney."

Baker graduated from Pepperdine University's School of Law. He specializes in corporate mergers, acquisitions and real estate law.

When his son Sam, an All-American at USC, was a first-round draft pick by the Falcons, he left the AFL to make sure his son's career started without a hitch. Sam Baker was re-signed to a six-year, $41.5 million contract in March with $18.25 million guaranteed.

It seems one of the first initiatives Baker plans to undertake is branding. He has extensive leadership experience in sports, business, law and civic projects, but he spoke mostly about Canton's positive impact on the NFL.

"What's great about the Hall of Fame is it sets the standard of greatness. Canton constitutes what it is to be great over a period of time," Baker said. "I get excited about a message that translates to our families, our companies, our communities and our country. Canton stands for greatness. If we can translate that to other things, we will make it more relevant and make a difference in the lives of others."

Page 3 of 3 - Baker and his wife, Colleen, have purchased a home in Glenmoor and are in the process of relocating here. He will be in town Saturday and his first day on the job at the Hall of Fame will be Monday.

"I am humbled and privileged to have the opportunity to work on something I believe is so important to the game and our culture," Baker said. "Our goal is to shine that beacon of greatness of the rest of the country and throughout the world."